Five Senses
by Lauand
Summary: Short stories written for the Saiyuki time LJ Comm, each one based on a different sense.
1. Sight: Sense of Depth

**Title:** Sense Of Depth

**Author:** Lauand

**Beta:** purpleicicles

**Paring:** Gojyo/Hakkai

**Rating:** PG-13

**Summary:** Hakkai has no depth perception.

**A/N:** Written for the Saiyuki_time LJ comm. Once again, thank you very much to purpleicicles for the beta-reading.

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In truth, Hakkai was not prone to regret. Not for his own decisions. If he had to choose again, he wouldn''t be willing or, rather, able to change or rectify any of his actions. The only things he would give anything and everything to alter were the ones in which he hadn''t had any say.

But sometimes, he wondered if it had been such a good idea to pluck his own eye out. He still understood and accepted his own reasons, but it was in moments like these that he missed the sense of depth a second eye would have provided.

Because, that way, he could know for sure how far (or how near) Gojyo''s skin really was, how dangerous was for him to get closer, to risk making contact and waking the man up.

It was in the lazy, late summer afternoons, when Gojyo would nap on the sofa and the golden light of the already low sun would enter through the window and fall on him, that Hakkai would feel inevitably drawn to the lying man and, always careful not to block the light to Gojyo''s face, he would reach out as if to touch that tempting body.

Hakkai never made contact, though; he would just take his own shadow as a fathom, a reference to know how close he was really getting to that tanned skin, to that warm, warm man.

With time, it became the objective instead of the tool. Hakkai wouldn''t try to judge by the shadow the distance to the sleeping body, he would just want to watch the projection of his hand caress the gently heaving chest, to brush the defined nipples, to palm the hard, subtly muscled abdomen.

When he was feeling especially bold, Hakkai's hand would move lower and its shadow would fall on the little hairs under Gojyo''s navel, and from there it would glide lower still until it rested ethereally, weightless, between Gojyo''s legs. Hakkai would breathe faster then, swallowing noisily and licking his lips, deciding to move higher again before he lost his self-control.

On other occasions, Hakkai would risk casting a shadow on Gojyo''s cheek, tracing first one scar, then the other, carefully avoiding the eyelids so that Gojyo wouldn''t awake. After the cheek, he would follow with his shade the outline of Gojyo''s mouth, eyes fixed on the wavering the relief of Gojyo''s lips caused in the shadow.

After that strange ritual of not touching that substituted feel with shadow, Hakkai would silently walk away from Gojyo and occupy himself in some house chore or another until it was time to start dinner.

And it was then that Gojyo would wonder how come that Hakkai didn''t find it strange that Gojyo didn''t stir even once during his naps.

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	2. Smell: Scents

**Title:** Scents

**Author:** Lauand

**Beta:** Macavitykitsune

**Pairing:** None really, only some 58-39 implications.

**Rating:** PG

**A/N:** Written for the Saiyuki_time LJ Community.

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Goku usually slept like the dead and dreamt vividly. According to Gojyo, he snored, too, but Goku never admitted it. Even confronted with the "How could you know if you're _asleep_ when it happens!" argument he would still keep his ground and his belief that he didn't snore. Not that he really cared, it was just that the negative would irk the kappa and annoying Gojyo was fun. It felt like family. Or so he supposed.

The problem with deep slumber was that it took a while to gather your wits when you woke up. Especially after dreams that involved dark caves and heavy shackles. Goku always woke disoriented and anxious, nerves frayed and eyes searching for something in the dark, for a hint that told him that he hadn't been left alone. He would strain all of his senses to scan his whereabouts, but the first reassurance he always got was the familiar scents in the air. There were more blonde people, more tall, gangly figures and more smiling men in green tunics, but no one in the whole world smelled like his teammates.

He had commented on it once. Sanzo smelled like the sun. Gojyo had smacked him and laughed, loudly assuring him that the sun had no smell. Then the kappa had looked warily at Hakkai as if waiting for a correction or some scolding, but Hakkai had just smiled at Goku, the kind of warm and condescendent gesture he reserved for not too bright but terribly endearing students. Sanzo had narrowed his eyes and 'tch-ed', then ignored him.

It was true, though. Sanzo smelled like daylight, summer days and paper planes crossing clear skies. Beyond the tobacco and the sweat, Sanzo's scent was like a bright morning. It was more than pleasant, it was good.

Gojyo smelled like a river. Not entirely clean, but full of life. Like water. The reek of beer and cigarettes and sex couldn't completely nullify the scent. Of all of them, Gojyo had the sharpest smell, strangely undefined, half-way between human subtlety and youkai musk, but that peculiar lack of definition made it curiously all the more recognizable. Gojyo smelled like Gojyo. In a not totally unpleasant way, since the kappa liked to keep himself mostly clean. Not as much as Hakkai, though.

Because Hakkai's scent was nearly overpowered by the smell of soap. The man was obsessive in his cleaning habits, he washed his hands at least ten times a day. Gojyo and Goku had more than once agreed that this couldn't be good for a body, but Sanzo always smacked them with the fan and ordered them to leave Hakkai and his ablutions in peace. Goku had wanted to ask what 'ablutions' meant, because it sounded like a disease and he was starting to worry about Hakkai's health, but Gojyo's survival instincts kicked in and he dragged Goku away from the pissy monk before they could anger him any further.

Yes, Hakkai always smelled of soap and jasmine tea. But underneath it all was the scent of the earth, the trees, the animals, the grass. Hakkai smelled like a forest. It was a youkai scent, but one which was terribly nice in Goku's senses. It was a pity that Hakkai was so determined to hide it.

Goku couldn't put into words how he smelled himself. He recognized his own scent, of course, but couldn't relate it to anything. Gojyo used to complain he stank like a monkey, but Gojyo not always said what he really thought if what he thought was a compliment and the recipient of the words wasn't a pretty girl.

Hakkai had once told him that he smelled like rich soil, and Gojyo had burst out laughing, babbling nonsense about dung. Then, Sanzo had intervened shooting and told him that he smelled like he smelled and that was that. Sanzo's input hadn't been very enlightening, but it was Sanzo's and that was enough for him.

That about their individual smells. Sometimes, however, Gojyo and Hakkai's scents would intertwine so that the both of them smelled like rain in the woods. The soap's perfume would be strong, threatening to mask the mingled scent, but Gojyo's musk was persistent and it would cling to Hakkai's skin just like Hakkai's would stick to Gojyo's.

It was on those occasions that Goku would really wish to know how would the sun smell if he mixed a little with rich soils, monkeys or Gokus in general. Or how it would change his own scent if it was touched by the smell of daylight. He never wondered aloud, though. He just waited. Waited in silence, because the sun always rose in the mornings and sometimes, that was enough.

So, when he woke up from his deep sleep, before opening his eyes, he would sniff silently the air and breathe the familiar smells that would put his disoriented mind at ease. He would catch whiffs of sunlight, forests and rivers and would think 'it's alright, I'm home'; and really, that was all a little monkey could ever have asked for.

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	3. Taste: Things to Savour

**Title:** Things to Savour

**Author:** Lauand

**Beta:** Purpleicicles

**Pairing:** Gojyo/Hakkai

**A/N:** Written for the Saiyuki_time LJ comm. Thank you very much to purpleicicles for the beta-reading ^^.

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After living with the guy for so long, it was somehow a surprise for Gojyo to finally notice that Hakkai baked and prepared a lot of cakes, cookies and desserts, yet he barely sampled them afterwards.

Trying to remember the last time he had seen Hakkai enjoy a slice of his own pies, Gojyo swallowed his mouthful of delicious chocolate cake and finally asked.

"Hey, Hakkai," he started, serving himself another piece, "how come you don't eat this? It's fan-fuckin-tastic, you know. I think you outdid yourself this time."

Hakkai calmly smiled and kept on watching Gojyo devour his cake.

"I don't really like sweets, Gojyo."

"Mmm?" With his mouth full again, Gojyo made an effort to talk clearly enough to be understood. "How come you make 'em so often, then?"

Observing how Gojyo swallowed and took another bite, fighting to repress a moan of pleasure at the wonderful taste, Hakkai smiled and didn't answer.

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	4. Touch: Delicate Matters

**Title:** Delicate Matters

**Author:** Lauand

**Beta:** Purpleicicles

**Warnings:** PG-13, subtle references to incest.

**Pairing:** Gojyo/Hakkai

**A/N:** Written for the Saiyuki_time LJ comm. Thank you very much to purpleicicles for the beta-reading.

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Gojyo hated being sick. Or at least, that was what he was thinking when Hakkai reached out and put his hand on Gojyo's brow. Hakkai's skin was normally warm, but it felt cool against Gojyo's fevered body. It was a gentle touch. The kind of touch that Gojyo didn't want. A touch that didn't revel in sensual delight or try to excite in anticipation for pleasures to come. No, Gojyo didn't like it because it was the sort of touch that said 'I care', and Gojyo had no idea how to react to that. He disliked it because it made him feel at a loss, and he hated being dragged out of his comfort zone like that, out of his routine, out of what it was familiar to him.

When Hakkai withdrew his hand and gently leaned in to feel him with his own brow instead, not trusting his hand enough to measure Gojyo's temperature, the redhead swallowed. If he just moved his face a little bit forward he would be kissing Hakkai. He could even blame it on the fever. With his eyes closed, Gojyo whispered.

"Hakkai, stop mothering me."

Gojyo missed the odd look he received at that, he just sighed when he stopped feeling Hakkai's skin against his. When Hakkai next spoke, Gojyo opened his eyes again, because there was something slightly off in Hakkai's light tone.

"Ha, ha, ha... You don't want me to treat you like I would my son, then?"

There was something very wrong with that question. But then, Gojyo had always suspected there was something very wrong with Hakkai. Gojyo swallowed again and attempted a laugh to brush it off, to keep away the memories of his mother, of his brother, of what they used to do behind a closed door; to avoid the images of a red-eyed child that would have been born of a green-eyed woman if she hadn't gutted herself in front of anyone.

"You're sick, man." He said, because he had learned that it was easier to evade a question with the naked truth. However, inside, in the place where he knew nobody would pry, he silently answered: _'no, not like your son. Like your sister'. _

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	5. Hearing: Synesthesia

**Title:** Synesthesia

**Author:** Lauand

**Beta:** Avierra

**Fandom:** Saiyuki

**Pairing:** None

**Rating:** G

**A/N:** The Saiyuki_time LJ Comm had a series of prompts based on the five (or six) senses. The one belonging to the hearing was writing haiku, that is, poetry and I didn't feel able to. But I hate leaving the set incomplete just because of that, so here's my alternative solution: a silly drabble. Hope you like it.

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"Hey, Gojyo…"

"Mmm, monkey?"

Goku didn't hesitate; even if the kappa was half-asleep, he wanted to know.

"Gojyo, what's a wet sound?"

"Whatthe..!" All remnants of pleasant drowsiness fled from Gojyo at the blunt question.

"I mean, how can it be wet? Sounds are supposed to be heard, not felt, aren't they?"

Gojyo took a look at Goku's rounded, innocent face and sighed. Why him? The monkey was supposed to be older than all of them, he should be… his line of thought was suddenly interrupted by the realization: in fact, why him? Gojyo's expression slowly changed from pained to devious; then he answered with an ample grin.

"You know, Goku, that's the kind of philosophical question monks are really good at. Why don't you go ask Sanzo, eh?"

Goku's beaming face was the last thing Gojyo saw before Goku left the room and started his loud calling.

"Sanzooooo…!!"

Wrapped in some kind of self-congratulating bliss, Gojyo smiled and waited for the gunshots to start.

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	6. Sixth Sense: Sixth Sense

**Title:** Sixth Sense

**Author:** Lauand

**Beta:** purpleicicles

**Pairing:** Gojyo/Hakkai

**Rating: **PG-13

**Summary:** Hakkai's Terms and Conditions.

**A/N:** Written for the Saiyuki_time LJ community. Thank you very much to purpleicicles for the beta-reading!

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With the effortless grace of someone who has done the same gesture a million times before, Gojyo took a long, deep drag of his cigarette and tried to determine how badly he had fucked up this time.

It hadn't been the sex, Gojyo was sure. Not only was he confident in his own abilities, he had also seen with his own eyes, heard with his own ears, felt in his own guts that Hakkai's pleasure was sincere. It wasn't as if he could have faked his orgasm. Although, on second thought, that wasn't a feat to be put beyond Hakkai.

No, the sex had been awesome. More than awesome. Fabulous. Fucking great. He couldn't really put into words how good it had felt, how damn right. No, it had been in the aftermath, Gojyo was sure now, his big mouth mentioning off-handedly, in that ambiguous tone that didn't exactly say if he was being serious or joking, that maybe they could really start going out or something. _''Cause I want the sex, but I'd like the other things, too.'_

Hakkai had been acting weird ever since. That is, last night. Weird in the Hakkai-ish sense of the word. He smiled, he was kind, he cared, he kept his peace. But in a cold, detached way that was so totally phoney that Gojyo had wanted to punch him.

He hadn't, though. Gojyo congratulated himself on his self control and brought the cigarette to his lips again. The familiarity of the smoke in his mouth, in his lungs… it was reassuring. Unlike the creepy silence in the house that screamed Hakkai wasn't there.

After a couple of puffs more, Gojyo put out his cig and made up his mind. He would back-pedal and give Hakkai his accustomed morning-after drone: Sha Gojyo wasn't made for just one woman (or man), it hasn't been a mistake – you were great, baby – but neither would happen again, he hadn't been thinking straight when he had said what he had said, it was only the heat of the moment, you know, and well, they could be still be friends, yeah…? Gojyo gritted his teeth. That last part wasn't the usual. It had been especially made up for the present occasion. Fuck.

He got up and went in search of another Hi-Lite. Just when he had found the lighter in the living room and was about to lit up, he heard the front door opening. Hakkai.

"Hey," Gojyo nervously greeted.

"Oh, good evening, Gojyo," the man was smiling so hard that it was impossible he was really seeing anything through the squinted eyes. Calmly, with the care he put in everything he did - from tucking a drunk Gojyo in to dusting the bookshelves - Hakkai took off his coat and produced a sheet of paper from one of its pockets after he had gently hung it on the proper hook. Gojyo remembered the day Hakkai had made him nail those hooks to the wall, "how are you?"

"Eeer, fine, I guess. Look man--"

"I've been thinking about…" Hakkai interrupted him as if he hadn't heard him and then paused to choose his words after making sure that Gojyo had indeed shut up to listen, "…the unexpected turn of events last night."

"Yeah, precisely that's what I wanted to--"

"Have this."

Hakkai presented Gojyo with the sheet of paper. Gojyo took it without thinking the moment he saw Hakkai wasn't smiling anymore.

"What… what's this?"

Gojyo's incredulous eyes ran over the neat calligraphy once more just in case he had read wrong the first time.

"It's my sheet of terms and conditions."

Too engrossed in the reading, it took Gojyo some extra seconds to catch up and confirm that, indeed, he didn't understand shit.

"Your what?"

"My terms and conditions.." Hakkai stood calmly, without fidgeting, close to him. His voice was soft but dead serious. "I'll only accept to enter a relationship if the other party (that would be you in this case) is willing to warrant that this conditions will be fulfilled."

Gojyo finally took his eyes off the sheet.

"Are you nuts?!"

Hakkai smiled in that special way that was an answer of itself.

"Man, I mean, this is…" Gojyo read again, this time aloud "…one: not dying. Two: not getting pregnant in case of rape. Three: not being raped. Four: not being kidnapped. Five: not committing suicide in front of – no, wait, that's scratched, alright – five: not committing suicide, period. Six: not dying. – you already mentioned that one, I think – …"

"It's an important one."

"Figures."

Slowly, Gojyo let the sheet down and took Hakkai's hand to drag him to the table, making him sit on a chair and taking himself a seat on another.

"Hakkai…" Gojyo inhaled air and let it out again. "You know I can't promise I won't die. What the fuck, everybody dies…"

"You know..." Hakkai started casually, smiling that… that _thing_ that nearly hurt to see, "Goku has it."

"Ugh?"

"That sixth sense. That pricking of the thumbs, that raising of the fine hairs on the nape, that warning, that alarm that goes off every time Sanzo is in danger. He just _knows_. Like that time against Kinkaku; no matter what, he can always tell. Always. But I…" slowly, the smile was fading and Gojyo couldn't decide for sure if he preferred the falseness of a fake smile or the truth in the resigned pain Hakkai radiated now as though it were body heat. "I already told you once, Gojyo. I don't have premonitions; I'm not gifted with that sixth sense. And as I won't know when you'll need me, I can't be there in time. So I need you to promise me that sixth sense that I lack will never be necessary, that I'll never be too late to save you, because, I tell you this in all honestly, I don't think I'm strong enough to face that again."

Gojyo's eyes were determined when he took another look at the sheet and firmly promised:

"Ok, I'll give you my word on number two." He risked a glance at Hakkai and judged it was not enough. "Alright, number five, too. And I solemnly swear that I will work hard to avoid breaking the other ones… yeah?"

He was not used to seeing Hakkai so vulnerable. He wasn't used to feel so vulnerable himself. Gojyo couldn't understand why anything that involved more than fucking had to always be so damn complicated. Getting abruptly up, he started searching for a pen. The first thing he found was a permanent marker from the monkey. Uncapping it with his teeth while he walked back to the table, he cast a last look at Hakkai and signed with irregular characters the fucking paper.

"Here you are," he handed Hakkai the signed sheet and impatiently asked, "can we start with the lovey-dovey shit now or not?"

Hakkai exhaled, smiled – this time for real – and started to fold the paper with the utmost care. He then reached hesitantly for Gojyo's belt and pulled until Gojyo obediently stepped nearer to the sitting man. Hakkai then put his warm arms around Gojyo's hips and hugged him, unhurriedly but tight, pressing his head against Gojyo's belly. Feeling like an idiot for wishing so desperately that his guts didn't start growling just now, Gojyo sneaked his own arms clumsily around Hakkai's head and softly caressed his dark hair.

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